


Before

by kiapurity



Series: FsF [7]
Category: Devil May Cry
Genre: Background mentions, F/M, Gen, Sam the Researcher, Supplementary Material
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-07
Updated: 2020-10-07
Packaged: 2021-03-08 04:13:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,427
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26869486
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kiapurity/pseuds/kiapurity
Summary: It all began in Fortuna one day with a secret project... and certain hidden truths.
Relationships: Eva/Sparda (Devil May Cry)
Series: FsF [7]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1438180
Comments: 2
Kudos: 3





	Before

**Author's Note:**

> Supplementary material for Fortuna's Fool, necessary for Chapter 9 and Chapter 10; also counts towards all AU versions as well. Sparda and Eva are mentioned in passing since this story is OC heavy. Apologizing profusely in advance because I was writing this at the same time as chapter 9 in order to break the writer's block and I felt like this was too important not to include in the series.

In the days long gone past on a sleepy little island, there lived three friends who stuck together at all times. They were always up to some relatively harmless mischief or two, although the third friend would rather focus on their favorite study. As they reached adulthood, they started pulling away in different directions. One towards her love of photography, another towards being a bride of a high ranking official, and the third as always towards science.

Today, the woman with her dreams of being a bride was impatiently flipping through fashion catalogues in her bedroom. None of the dresses seemed to be what she wanted. She was driving her older brother up the wall with indecisions. She pressed her lips together in a thin line as she flipped yet another page.

"Oi, Hel! Still haven't found the right dress?" Her friend called out as she stepped into the room, carrying her photography kit.

"Sadly, it's going to be a long struggle still. Nan, help me."

Nanaya sighed loudly, her hand rummaging her messy dark blonde hair. "Don't know how. I can only help with pictures! Sammy won't be of use either if you were gonna ask them…"

Helen frowned. Of course, her very distant cousin barely interacted with Helen's branch unless they had to. Sam also managed to piss off Richard at the same time by becoming an intern for The Order of The Sword's science division. It was a long complicated and convoluted mess in which the Fortune family was the original founders with Sparda as the eternally confused feudal lord. In the years since Sparda left, the family naturally were the mayors until the cult took over. Now, to get that prestige and power back, it took a carefully crafted arrangement to wed a family member to someone from the Order. 

It was extremely lucky that it was a natural love match. Helen knew her suitor since they were children and had a natural affinity for each other. Sam thought the entire arrangement was distasteful and was not shy about raising their objections. Because if that was the case, Sam could have found themselves in the same position but Sam’s branch wasn’t fixated on prestige and were simply content to live within their means, having acknowledged that their time passed.

“Not like I can blame Sam for that. Brother has been pretty unbearable to be around lately. It’s easy to ignore his worries because nothing’s going to go wrong, just wait and see!”

“Of course.” Nanaya responded as she sat next to Helen, leaning against her best friend. “How about a simple compromise? You get to mix and match and just have it specially made?”

“That’s brilliant! You’re a genius!”

“And the pictures I’ll take will showcase your stunning beauty. Gosh, I already feel sorry for Paolo.”

“Hmm. I wonder.”

“Hel?”

There was a rather distant look on the brunette’s face as if she was troubled by something. Paolo, her fiance seemed to be distracted lately and she wasn’t certain if it was because of something she did last time. Things got too heated and he suddenly backed off, almost frightened by her boldness. Or was she misreading things?

“Boyfriend troubles, I suppose.”

“Spill it. I’ll call for some tea!”

And so Helen spilled out her troubles to Nanaya who shook her head. They both wondered if it was because of the organization that might have the fiance on edge? After all, there was a certain standard for everyone to uphold, being chaste and pious. As a society lady, Helen was expected to behave in a certain manner so that might have had something to do with how poorly Paolo reacted?

“Ah, you go to church more than I do. It’s such a snoozefest with all the preaching.”

“You’re not wrong. I have to fill my thoughts with errands and pinching myself to stay awake.”

"It's still funny Sammy went up and joined despite having never attended a single sermon!"

"Sam just goes where science takes them. At least that's what they said to me when I asked last time."

"Sure sounds like Sammy, alright."

\--

One very irritated intern sneezed loudly while buried in the middle of many boxes within one of the Order's many libraries. They scoffed out loudly at the disbelief they were currently experiencing right now. They had discovered something really insane last year but the damned evil boss was constantly preventing Sam from investigating their suspicions.

"I am going to take that goddamn vacation to Redgrave, so Sparda help me!"

Sam dug their way out of the boxes, rearranging the chaos into something resembling half-assed order. They proceeded to wipe the dirt off of their shiny white uniform, however improbable the attempt was. The story of Sparda was something that fascinated the poor intern. How one demon came to rule over an island before finally deciding to nope out. Not like Sam couldn't sympathize considering their boss and coworkers were enough to incite the same reaction.

The intern made a successful swift exit outside of the headquarters without being accosted by evil bosses. They bumped into a rather mysterious looking figure (that is if you could call someone dressed in western wear mysterious in a city with conservative fashion!) Sam stammered out a loud, "Excuse me!"

"Oh, that's perfectly alright." The man spoke, a hint of otherworldly aura which apparently went over Sam's head. He blinked. "Which way is the public library?"

"Uhhh. Two blocks over then another to the left."

The stranger bowed, a flash of yellow eyes peeked out from under the hat. Sam was left with a disquieting feeling as they watched the stranger head off and how people reacted to the stranger alone. Women fanned themselves, men appeared to give the stranger a wide berth as if they were intimidated.

"What the--" Sam stared after then deduced that whatever just happened, they were… immune? Or did they happen to witness some form of mass hysteria that thankfully did not touch them?

\--

Nanaya left her best friend's mansion, cheered by how she was able to solve various problems. It was now up to Helen to negotiate with her brother regarding the dress and finding a dressmaker. Now, there was a new problem in form of one Sam who was still struck dumb in the streets for some time. She gently tugged on the intern's sleeve, trying to rouse them.

"Sammy?"

"Yes! Damn, sorry. I had the most odd encounter-- and what the hell, people are falling all over themselves over some yellow eyed cowboy!"

"Huh, really?"

"The cowboy had no effect on me… I wonder what it means."

"You're Sam."

Sam gave Nanaya a blank look then facepalmed. The intern made an annoyed sound before clearing their throat. “Are you saying that just by being me, I’m immune?”

“Probably?” She said, shrugging. “You’ve never thought outside of science. You just tuned us out chattering about dresses, makeup, and boys. That seems to make sense to me.”

Sam couldn’t even argue against that idea. “I do have several other topics of interest but I’m sure you both would have thought me insane.”

“Really, Sam? I’m offended.”

“Look, I’ve been keeping this a secret, but I am REALLY sure the legendary dark knight Sparda is still alive and breathing.”

Nanaya almost doubled over with laughter but froze in place due to seeing the serious expression on Sam’s face. Holy shit. Gigglefit aborted, Nanaya looked back and forth before leaning into Sam’s presence, dragging them off to the side so they could converse in private. Luckily, Fortuna was full of various dark alleys which made such a thing possible.

“You serious?”

“Yes! I ran across some articles dating from a few years ago and would you believe it, a picture of a startled looking man in the middle of a parade popped out. If it wasn’t for my keen eyesight--”

“You wear glasses, Sam.”

“Quiet, you. He’s the exact same doof we’ve got various statues around the city. There’s several paintings hidden within The Order’s archives that confirm my findings! I’ve been trying to sneak away so I can get my goddamn vacation time to research this man!”

“But is this science?”

“I’ll get back to you on that later. Can you imagine me ever trying to explain any of this to Helen?”

“No…” Nanaya grimaced, imagining everything going over Helen’s head. “She’s preoccupied at the moment.”

“I’m sure. Making herself presentable as a human sacrifice to the altar of power, blah blah.” Sam threw their hands up. “Even IF she’s in love with her fiance, the whole thing--”

Nanaya shook her head, dragging Sam off which interrupted the beginning of a timeworn rant. Actually, to think of it, Nanaya had no idea where she was dragging Sam to or why, just it seemed like the right thing to do. 

\--

Helen was satisfied, having successfully bullied her brother into grudgingly accepting her idea. All too easy, considering Richard was that desperate to earn the glory back. She still thought it was silly for her brother to clung onto dreams long past. It was hard to deny that there wasn’t a certain kind of draw there. Even though they didn’t do more than throw modest balls on special occasions or during holidays.

She returned to her bedroom with her pile of plans, placing them on the desk. Everything was all neat and organized, just the way she wanted it. Once the wedding came, she would have to move out and that thought gave her pause. Well, if it must be done, then it must be done. As much as she loved her childhood home, it was important to move on and start her new life with Paolo.

Speaking of Paolo… Helen frowned to herself, still thinking over Nanaya’s words. She should find him and apologize for getting carried away considering the wedding was only several months away. With that settled, she mentally double checked herself, trying to remember his schedule. He would probably be at the organization right now, doing office work. (Trying so hard to get that promotion!)

She chuckled to herself. “I should take him some sweets.”

Helen made a quick stop by the kitchen to pack a basket full of small cakes and cookies. It took a great deal of bullying Richard to let her learn how to cook in the kitchen because she needed to be a good wife! Even if she got to run the household or not, she could not afford to be spoiled!

A grin plastered on her face, she shouted out to her brother her intentions to go out in the town carousing for a good time. There was a snippy remark to mind her curfew in which she retorted with a simple, “mind your own business!” 

Siblings.

Helen left the grand mansion, looking both ways before turning left onto the streets. It didn’t take long for her to reach the main building made out of finest marble, putting her family house to shame. With a sigh, it was easy for the average person to be intimidated by the sheer scale of the building. There was a certain kind of irony at play here, a grand looking building in the middle of a small city populated by people who were trying to live modestly. Something about it bothered her but she couldn’t put her finger down as to why.

Undeterred, she moved inside the building, greeting various parishioners down the hallway to offices. Her head tilted to one side as she caught an earful of an angry conversation and she flattened herself against the wall, not wanting to be caught. Her fiance was angry with someone…? Maybe she should come back at another time but hearing, “I know it’s yours!” stabbed her between her eyes.

What?

Did Helen mishear that? She was rooted to the spot, frozen in panic. Everything started coming in sharp while sending her out of focus. Paolo had slept with someone else several months ago? Was that why he behaved so oddly towards Helen? She slammed a hand over her mouth, trying to swallow her nausea down. Her vision wavered, skin clammy with cold sweat, bile rising again.

When her vision returned, she found herself in front of a lonely looking cottage. She dropped to her knees in front of the steps, trying to recall what happened after nearly fainting at the offices. Instead, it was as if her body moved out of sheer panic, sending her running outside at all costs. She pushed her way into the cottage, placing the basket on a draped coffee table.

What was she going to do now?

At the present, her future seemed uncertain now. If what she heard was true, there was no way she could marry Paolo, not after that betrayal. Would her brother understand? Surely, he must… but it wasn’t unheard of for men to fool around before marriage. Women were held up to different standards and that was what made it so frustrating. She thought she had freedom before, but it was only a sad illusion of choice.

No wonder why her distant relative was so angry all the time. They understood far too well. A bitter smile came to her lips as she sat down and took a sweet from the basket, taking a delicate bite.

\--

Sam and Nanaya were walking together in awkward silence, heads down. It seemed as if Sam was attempting to rearrange their thoughts after having been interrupted mid-rant. Nanaya didn’t know how to change the subject either, having purposefully glanced at the crowd. It would be a great time to take pictures if she wasn’t unnerved by people behaving so strangely. Women were working themselves up in a frenzy one moment, and looking confused the next.

The so-called cowboy wizard was nowhere in sight as Sam said, “Seems this hysteria doesn’t last too long.”

“It’s a little creepy now that I’ve seen it.” Nanaya shivered. “Maybe we should hide back at Helen’s house?”

“Hell no. I refuse to be around Dick, you know that. I’ll be fine anyway, if what you said is right.”

“Yeah, but I feel better with you around, Sam.”

Sam grunted a noncommitional response at Nanaya. They finally returned to the Fortune Mansion, seated on a comfortable couch in the parlor before Richard finally made an appearance. He seemed to be considerably annoyed at seeing Sam but waved the annoyance off.

“You just missed Helen. She went off to visit her fiance.” There was a slight hitch in his voice at the word.

The duo glanced at each other before Nanaya clasped her hands. “Richard, what is the matter?”

“It is not a big issue. Just a minor inconvenience.”

“When it comes to this society,” Sam began. “A man knocking up a different woman before his wedding is definitely considered a minor inconvenience.”

Both Nanaya and Richard stared at Sam in silence then Nanaya glanced back between Sam and Richard in shock. The fact that Richard’s face was turning a furious red seemed to confirm the validity of Sam’s statement. Nanaya gripped at her skirt, her thoughts racing back to the advice she gave to Helen not too long ago.

“Does she know…?”

“No. I would rather not have her find out.”

“Secrets have a way of outing themselves, Richard.” Sam said, “You can’t protect her forever. She may want to change her mind about the wedding. Would you let her?”

The man shut his eyes, rubbing at his face. “If Helen wants to call it off, that is acceptable. She shouldn’t be forced into an obligation against her will.”

“I’m going to make sure you keep your word, Di--” Nanaya jabbed Sam into the side with her elbow. “Richard.” They rubbed their side, still wincing.

“I suppose it’s marginally acceptable that at least a member of the Fortune family is in the Order.” Richard nodded to Sam who recoiled with surprise at the acknowledgement. “I have been focused too much on reviving the past. Maybe it’s time to look into other ways.”

“Nanaya, pinch me.”

Nanaya was only more than happy to pinch Sam’s already sore side in which there was another loud “ouch” from the poor intern. It was clear to them that they weren’t dreaming after all and Sam had the distant feeling that maybe it was a good idea to take up drinking if the sky was indeed falling into pieces.

\--

The small cake seemed to be too much for Helen to handle after several bites. Still, it was something to calm her stomach down, chased by a glass of water in the kitchen. She was safe in her thinking space whenever she needed somewhere to hide. Maybe she should spend the rest of her life here and become an old maid with many pet cats?

No, hiding was irrational. She needed to have it out with Paolo and get confirmation for once and all. Still, the thought of talking to him made the queasy feeling return. No, no, she’ll just put it off for a little while longer. Act as if everything was all right in the world?

That was not going to happen. She was torn between rage and heartbreak, why was she not good enough for that bastard? She had damn well compromised herself because she was so certain that it wouldn’t matter once they were married. 

Now what?

Helen stepped back into the living room from the kitchen, staring at the basket. There was movement out of the corner of her head, making her glance away. There was always a funny feeling that the cottage was haunted but it was nothing more than local rumor over the years. Sometimes, Helen thought she saw a little girl with dark hair in a red dress run around the cottage, trying to clean up the dusty place. Always waved it off as a part of her overactive imagination.

“Ah, little girl. You must be here again, aren’t you? I’m not sure you can hear me. Cleaning again today?”

There was no answer as Helen laughed quietly, childing herself for talking to the ghost. If there was such a thing in the first place, because the cottage had been in her family for years and there was no record of a little dark-haired girl in their family history. After all, the cottage was normally used as a get-away or for guest usage in the years before the mansion expanded.

There was a knock on the door, interrupting the lull of her thoughts. Oh, was it one of those bold teenagers trying to dare each other to approach the haunted cottage? Well, she’ll teach them a thing or two. Helen opened the front door with words at the ready before blurting out, “You’re not a teenager.”

“Huh.” The cowboy wizard answered, surprised. He didn’t expect there would be anyone in the cottage, having planned on sneaking in and camping for the night. Grabbing an inn room was out of the question due to the curious stares, not to mention the little issue of his magic running slightly amok to the island’s mysterious aura.

“Come in, then!” Helen laughed, gesturing to the basket. “Have a piece or two.” 

The man walked inside, looking unsure of himself as he closed the door behind himself. He watched Helen strode her way around the couch, taking off the dust cloth and folding it up. He carefully removed a cookie from the basket, popping it in his mouth.

“Do you live here at present, miss?”

“My family owns it, but no, I live elsewhere. Why?”

He winced, but since honesty seemed to be the best policy and she wasn’t fawning all over him. She seemed to not think much of his presence, like that person who gave him directions earlier. How interesting. He removed his hat, revealing his dark hair and yellow eyes, making Helen jump a little bit.

“Oh, that’s an unusual eye color.”

“Family thing. My name’s Grey Thorn.”

“Helen Fortune.”

Grey was immediately interested upon hearing her last name. He was in the library doing research on families residing on the island, wanting to find one of the founding families (if at all possible) for his project. To speak, fortune spilled upon his lap but yet, she was standing there, all sweetness and innocent.

The big book in the research room listed several family trees and living descendants with gender and birthdate. There were two living daughters of the Fortune family, one from each branch. It didn’t matter which one he chose, just as long as he had one but to convince her to fall into his arms was an entirely different matter.

“As to your question, I was looking for a place. People are too interested.”

“That’s always the case with this island. Someone new comes, people are bored and become a nuisance. You can have the cottage for however as long as you can, but I’m afraid I don’t have much in the ways of anything else. Not like I have anything else…” she trailed off, tears threatening to spill in spite of her smile.

The tears came anyway, she didn’t mean for them to fall. She didn’t want to cry in front of a stranger because right now, she should have been in Paolo’s lap, kissing him and teasing him about their upcoming nuptials. Instead, she was standing in front of a handsome stranger, trying to be polite.

“Why are you crying?” He asked, a little confused. 

“Am I beautiful?”

The question threw him for a moment as Grey reconsidered himself. He took a long good look at Helen and her modest stature clothed in the traditional buttoned up wear. Her emerald green dress complemented her brown hair and hazel eyes. She was what could be called a local beauty, he decided.

"Yes. There is no doubt about it." He answered truthfully.

Her tears were threatening to end his project because he clearly was feeling overwhelmed with guilt. Grey knew that taking advantage of a person in their emotionally fragile state would not end well for everyone involved.

"Thank you." She said. "I don't understand why he would get another woman pregnant. My fiance, I… no. Not my fiance anymore."

That explained it. He opened his mouth to say something before being interrupted by a hungry, desperate kiss. It was the kiss of someone who burned for validation. He could feel everything in her kiss, all the broken dreams to never come to pass.

He embraced her, allowing himself to roll along with the chaotic wave. So be it, then. He would do his best to reassure and in the end, she would be left with the knowledge that for an evening, she was wanted and worshipped.

\--

Nanaya yawned, rising from the guest bed. She and Sam stayed up all night waiting for the return of their friend when finally, sleep threatened to overtake them. She wondered if Helen ever managed to make it back home?

Much to Nanaya's disappointment, the bedroom remained empty as ever. The occupant evidently was still out. Nanaya didn't like the turn of events as she bolted out of the room. She started her descent down the stairs, pausing at hearing Richard and Paolo conversing.

Paolo stopped by to tell Richard that he wasn't going to be able to go through with the wedding. After all, there was a great deal of uncertainty surrounding the parentage of the prostitute's unborn child. Richard cooly responded that the younger man should have thought of that before compromising his sister.

Paolo flushed, stammering out an entirely incomprehensible sentence about honor. "I cannot have this on my conscience!"

"Well." Nanaya interrupted with her arrival. "You’re lucky Helen isn’t here because she’d have skewered you on the spot."

He glared up at the woman who was mildly amused with such poor excuses out of his mouth. She was also angry at him for his actions for Helen’s sake. Nanaya also wondered if Helen found out and that was why she didn’t come back home.

“Please. Soon as we find out, I’ll have a concrete answer for the wedding.”

“You think Helen would want to marry some faithless weakling like you? You know her better than that, Paolo!”

“I won’t allow it.” Richard answered. “Not even if you’re rising in the ranks… my sister’s happiness matters more.”

\--

And in that moment, Helen was basking in the afterglow of previous evening’s activity. She was curled up on the floor with her back against Grey who was still asleep. It was unfair of her to compare the two men, but it was difficult not to when such a contrast was stark. How cold and stiff Paolo was compared to how warm and tender Grey was. Society ladies’ gossip definitely had a kernel of truth, just find the right person and they could make you feel like heaven on Earth.

“Ah.” She said, realizing that it was morning in which everyone should be up already.

Could it really be called Walk of Shame if she was coming from her cottage? Nah. It would make perfect sense that she spent the night there to cry in private. Although, she didn’t mind the surprise company.

“Morning.” He yawned from the floor, stretching his arms out.

Helen admired the view, chiseled muscles with generous dusting of black hair on his chest, trailing downwards. His muscles suggested a lifetime of working out on a farm or some sort of a fighter. She was tossing out several wild guesses as to what kind of occupation this man held and doubted he would tell her. 

“I think there’s still some sweets left over if you’re hungry.”

“Thank you.” He said, yawning again. “Are you doing better?”

She pressed her lips together, still unsure. While, yes, she did feel better but she still would have to deal with the fallout of her wedding being cancelled. All sorts of anxious thoughts threatened to choke her. Grey placed a hand on her shoulder, rousing her out of them as if he could tell what she was thinking.

There was a chuckle. “I’m just very good at picking up body languages. You seemed almost upset again. The fiance?”

“Yes… and no. I’ve decided to wash my hands of him, but it’s just… what do I do now?”

“Maybe, just live in the moment? Unless?”

Wasn’t that the problem? Helen thought to herself. She always lived in the moment, never stopping to think about potential problems. Now she was facing a real problem watching her future fall out from under her.

“May I suggest another distraction?”

“Yes. I think I’d like that… but I do need to get home. I’ll stop by with some more food if you don’t mind?”

Grey shook his head. “It’s your cottage. I’d be more than happy to wait for you.”

\--

Not too long afterwards, Sam rolled out of the guest bed, landing with a thump. They stared up at the ceiling, trying to remember where the hell they were. Oh right, the damn house. Shouldn’t have let Nanaya talk them into staying the night. But of course exhaustion took both of them while they stayed up waiting for Helen.

The intern grumbled and unrumpled their clothing before leaving the room and bumping into Nanaya on the stairs who was too busy insulting Paolo’s existence. Sam rolled their eyes before encouraging Nanaya to move the hell down faster. Finally, both of them were now on the bottom floor as Sam looked back and forth at everyone else in the room.

“Alright, Paolo. THE FUCK WERE YOU THINKING.” Sam bellowed, startling everyone else. “A prostitute?! Really. I know sex workers need to be paid but … Helen mostly certainly did NOT consent to you sleeping around!”

Paolo colored. “I couldn’t refuse a ‘gift’ from my brothers.”

Sam’s eyes slowly rolled upwards. “Yes, you can, you bloody wanker! As a person of SCIENCE, I can perfectly tell you how unprotected sexual activity of any sort can lead to pregnancy, much less sexually transmitted diseases! You could have exposed Helen to all kinds of nasty sorts of stuff! Sparda, the industry should have been regulated with protection sufficiently provided…”

Nanaya tugged at Sam’s sleeve. “I think you put the fear of Sparda in Paolo.”

Sam blinked then stared at Paolo who appeared to be sufficiently intimidated. Richard shook his head, mumbling about questionable relatives who appeared to be a little too progressive for the time. The intern glared daggers at their thankfully DISTANT relative.

“Morning, everyone.” Helen announced, walking inside looking no worse for the wear. She appeared to be ignoring Paolo’s existence entirely, heading straight to the kitchen as if she was about to grab a bite to eat.

“Is that me or was that a little weird?” Sam asked.

“Helen!” Richard yelled out. “Where in the blazes were you?”

“The cottage! I needed time alone.”

“Helen--” Paolo started towards her as she stepped out of the kitchen, stopping in his tracks with her staring down at him.

“Don’t.” She said. “I heard the conversation yesterday. There is no wedding, not now or ever. You are no more than a stranger to me, goodbye.”

And with that, she left the poor man on the spot, having retreated to her bedroom. He wordlessly left the house as Richard shrugged. He would have to find a better match for his sister at a later date of her choosing… if she desired one, once she recovered. Strangely, she didn’t seem to be too broken up over ending the relationship. Richard had a sneaking suspicion that his sister might have done something rash.

Sam was still glaring daggers at Richard but not before being dragged up the stairs by Nanaya. The poor intern was going to have to accept their fate of being dragged everywhere they went whether they liked it or not. Helen blinked at the arrival of her two friends and shook her head, trying to encourage them to not worry about her.

“Like heck! You stayed out all night… are you really okay?”

“Better than okay thanks in part to my company.”

Nanaya and Sam glanced at each other then the intern responded, “By any chance, tall guy with black hair and yellow eyes?”

“...I guess he must have made quite an impression.”

“You’d THINK.” Sam scrubbed their face before dropping their hands to their sides, “You haven’t done anything rash?”

“Of course not, what do you take me for?”

Nanaya interrupted Sam before they could respond, “Sammy just needs more faith.”

The intern threw their hands up, making their way to the exit. “Do be careful, there’s something odd about that man. And I don’t know what it is.”

\--

Grey's interest was piqued by the cottage, first by the unusual dream last night. Now, by the mysterious figure he kept seeing running around the household. The fact that it was a girl gave him some confidence that maybe he was that close to bringing the prophecy to fruition and then Eva would be safe.

He frowned, pulling the well-worn letter out from his coat pocket, reading it once again. He cautiously handled the attached picture, featuring a set of white haired babies. He deeply worried for his friend's safety after reading about the birth of her sons. Now that children were already involved…?

For Grey, trying to keep faith was difficult because Mundus deeply frightened him owing to countless dreams about the destruction the devil wrecked on the human world all because of Sparda. He could sense the devil king’s wrathful jealousy… because of a choice Sparda made on the spot. To give humanity hope and a chance at freedom, he cleaved the worlds apart.

That didn’t stop the various demons emerging into the world, always on the prowl for Sparda. It was why his coven made the hasty decision to take up on demon hunting after the loss of two prominent covens who supposedly were the balance of the world. Grey scoffed at that thought, the world was still spinning without them. Not quite as strong as those coven, having realized his own limits which caused him to worry about needing to find another way.

And there was the serious matter of the island doing strange things to his abilities. It was as if his own powers were akin to limp noodles, always slipping out of control. Frustrating, because his glamour shouldn’t be so unwieldy judging by the various reactions from the citizenry. When it worked just right, it was easy for him to go by, unnoticed in other places. However, he stood out like a sore thumb which was the opposite of what he intended.

“I had to pick the one place Sparda used to rule over. Ridiculous.”

\--

Over the next following days, Helen was evasive as usual leaving both Nanaya and Sam worried. Though, Sam wasn’t able to be of any use due to their wicked boss burying them in heavy workload and loudly demanding the poor intern to categorize and re-categorize the labs. Nanaya was too intimidated by the Order’s labyrinthe-like building to rescue Sam, but she was still distracted by her best friend’s odd behavior. There was never ending gossip around the city about how a famous engagement was broken with various theories as to why it happened.

Richard had turned quite a shade of furious purple that Nanaya didn’t think was possible until now. The gossip had a vicious edge to it, suggesting that Helen might have not been very virtuous if the engagement was so easily broken. She sighed to herself, knowing very well Sam’s thoughts on the subject of slander. “Truth will out itself,” they said to Nanaya once, “but sometimes I just want to smack the crap out of them.”

Finally, Richard had enough of his wayward sister wandering away from the house and fueling the gossip. He went off to the cottage to retrieve his sister with Nanaya not too far behind, fearing his rage. Sure, Helen knew how to easily manipulate her brother, but… Nanaya couldn’t finish that thought.

He had his fist ready to pound on the door when the man with yellow eyes opened it, looking somewhat amused. “Good morning!”

Nanaya gaped and shook her head. She was starting to feel a little fuzzy, with spots floating in her sight. Richard only looked madder and grabbed the man by the collar of his unbuttoned shirt. “Just who the hell do you think you are, staying on my property!?”

“You’re being a little rough here.”

“Brother!” Helen pushed Richard away, looking equally upset. “That’s really unbecoming of you, manhandling a guest!”

“Helen, what is the meaning of this?”

“I invited him to stay at the cottage and I’ve been tending to his accommodations during his stay. Would you have me turn out a stranger in need? I can’t believe the gall of you!”

Richard looked somewhat mortified, maybe cowed. He put his hands down to his sides before regaining some of his previous anger. “Helen, if you had any sense, you’d have noticed that you’re lending fuel to the gossip!”

“Please, brother.” Helen shook her head. “I’m sorry, Grey. Forgive my brother because he’s more concerned with prestige over a person’s well being. He’ll have to get over it some day.”

“Forgiven.” Grey gave a small bow. “You’ve been more than gracious. I’ll be leaving now if that would suit you, Mr. Fortune?”

Richard nodded sternly as Helen went to her friend, touching her arm. Nanaya blinked as her head finally cleared up. Fearful, she grabbed Helen in a hug and whispered in her ear. “I was so worried Richard was going to hurt you!”

“I’ll be okay, really.”

Helen nodded to Grey, sad to see him leave but she knew it was time for him to go. After all, he told her that he needed to see a friend soon. It wouldn’t do if she kept him from seeing his friend… maybe someday they could meet again. No promises, he said, it was all up to fate who could be an extremely fickle mistress.

As the days drifted on since the parting, Helen opted to stay indoors which satisfied her brother as that put an end to the rumors. However, there was a secret that she was carrying, having only partially confirmed through a monthly cycle having missed its usual visit. Whoever the father was, Helena could not truly say. Still, she took careful planning to keep it under wraps as much as possible to the point she had to alternate her own dresses to conceal her thickening waist.

A letter interrupted Nanaya’s career journey in Red Grave, worrying her. Helena revealed that she was carrying a secret and needed her support. She was lucky that she managed to hide the truth from Richard for so long because he was extremely distracted with the import business. She wasn’t able to get in touch with Sam who appeared to have vanished off of the face of Earth and begged Nanaya to hurry promptly.

“I’m so glad you made it!” Helen greeted Nanaya with a warm hug. “I’ll send for some apple cider to celebrate your return.”

“You’re really incredible.” Nanaya shook her head. “Hel! Have you thought of a name?”

“Kit. I’ve been talking to him the whole time. It’s getting harder to sleep comfortably with him dancing on my bladder.”

“That’s a scary thought.”

“Just means that he’s got an attitude. Perhaps, once he’s born, Richard will get over the initial shock and accept that there’s a male heir.”

Nanaya bit her bottom lip, afraid to ask if Helen had considered the possibility of a daughter instead but if she was so certain--

Their heads quickly snapped at the door ringing as a servant went to open it, immediately announcing Paolo’s presence. Nanaya suddenly rushed ahead of Helen, extremely irritated to see a former fiance making himself known.

“Just what the hell do you think you’re doing?”

“I’ve come to see Helen! We can get married-- the whore’s child was stillborn.”

Nanaya swore she saw red and was rearing for a right hook when Helena slapped Paolo across the face instead. There were audible gasps from the servants who immediately evacuated from the room.

“Get out.”

Stunned, Paolo stumbled, holding a hand to his stinging cheek. “Helen-- that was insensitive of me. I--”

“GET OUT!” She bellowed with rage, pushing Paolo out and slamming the doors shut. “Leo, let it be known that Paolo is permanently banned from the household and must be escorted from the grounds immediately.”

Leo, the servant nodded and went off to carry out the instructions. Nanaya immediately escorted Helen to the sofa, noticing her friend tremble from leftover anger.

“Wow, I’ve never seen you hit that hard before.”

“I don’t know what came over me. Oh, Sparda! To think that man could beg me to marry him after saying something like that. I’m sorry, Kit. No matter who your father is, I’ll always love you.” She spoke softly to her belly, slowly stroking circles near her belly button.

“What do you mean, Hel?” Realization slowly dawned on Nanaya. “Who?”

“I don’t know, I’ve had intimate relations with Grey too.”

“I-- I can’t even judge.” Nanaya’s shoulders sagged. “If Paolo was that lousy, I can see why you would be tempted by a better prospect.”

“He was really easy on the eyes, yes! I wish I could talk to him again, but he had things to take care of. I’ll find Duskfire someday when the time’s right.”

“Duskfire?”

“His hometown. Grey made it sound like such a lovely place, but he said that he had to leave it because he needed a way to save his friend from dying. That’s why he was in Fortuna, looking for answers.”

Later that evening after everyone had retired to their rooms, Nanaya was sleeping in her favorite guest room… or at least was trying to. The whole situation was deeply troubling but what could she do but blame it on pregnancy hormones? Helen seemed to be on cloud number 9 concerning the baby. It would be irresponsible for Nanaya to drag her bestie down to reality. At least she wasn’t marrying that horrible man after all.

“Nan…?”

There was a tiny panicked squeak coming in front of the door as Nanaya bolted from the door, opening it. Helen stumbled into her arms, sweating and panting. Her legs were slick from fluid trickling down, the edges of her gown already soaked.

“Already!?”

“I think Kit’s ready.”

Servants were summoned with a midwife at the ready, dealing with the labor in Helen’s room. Nanaya was trying her best to comfort Helena through the pain. It didn’t take too long until the arrival of one dark haired child, already screaming. There were loud chuckles about the sets of the lungs on the girl.

“What did she say? A girl?” There was panic in Helen’s voice sounding as if she was fading far away. “Kit… no.” 

The poor new mother fainted which caused the midwife to sigh, and hand over the newly bundled baby to Nanaya. Yellow eyes peeked out from under the baby’s squint at the woman holding her. She choked quietly and sat down on the chair, murmuring softly to the little one.

“You’re so tiny. So innocent… and need to be protected.”

It was all so clear now to Nanaya, her photography career was over. Funny, it didn’t bother her making the sacrifice for an innocent. She needed to be around to protect Kit and Helen from Richard’s wrath. Oh yeah, that asshole was going to be pissed.

Needless to say, Richard was pissed. He returned to the mansion a month later, screaming at the servants for not notifying him that there was a new baby in residence. Helen never left her room, ignoring pleas from Nanaya and other servants. Not even Richard’s screaming could get through to her. There were whispers about how the poor woman had a touch of baby blues.

“You’ve been taking care of the child, I take it.” Richard did not want to look at the creature in Nanaya’s arms, repulsed by the yellow eyes. “Did Helen ever name her?”

“Kit.” Nanaya said, still feeling as though the name was a mismatch for the girl who was fussing from gas. “Can I suggest --”

“Aikaterine. It should be a fitting name. I’ll see about setting her up as an adopted ward. No one can ever know that Helen had given birth to _that_. It may be a year before Helen’s ready to be married off.”

“Are you serious?!” Nanaya cried out in shock. “You’re still trying to marry her off? She’s in no shape for such a thing--”

“I don’t care. She went over the line and suffered the consequences from that damned man! I’m done-- she’ll do as I say from now on. I’m going to get her treated, damn it.”

Such ugliness on display left Nanaya speechless. No, there must be something she could do to get Helen to come back to everyone! With Aikaterine in her arms, Nanaya went to Helen’s room, quietly opening the door. Her friend was sitting in front of the window, a far-away look on her face.

“Helen…”

“I heard. His voice carries easily in this house. I’m not going to do what he says.”

“What about your daughter?”

Helen turned her head to her friend, tears running down her face. “I wanted her to be a boy so badly. Is that wrong of me? She’s going to be trapped like me and I don’t want that for her. I don’t even have the strength to be her mother. I couldn’t even think of a proper girl’s name either.”

“Hel…”

“She’s stuck with a complicated name. Richard’s going to do the same thing to her, you’ll see. I can’t even protect her, much less myself. Nan, you’re stronger than me! I know you’ll do her justice!”

“Should we keep calling her Kit?”

“I don’t know.” Helena said, sounding far-away again. “She should be able to choose her own name.”

A name that wouldn’t be chosen for another seventeen years in which one young woman would meet a handsome stranger, her with black hair and him with white hair. Only if Grey had known the irony of his friend Eva’s wishes in which their children would meet some day in their last conversation before everything changed. Fate was definitely an extremely fickle mistress, indeed.


End file.
